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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28681050">The Heart of the House</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alexander_L/pseuds/Alexander_L'>Alexander_L</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>In the Blood - A collection of Thanatos/Zagreus oneshots [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hades (Video Game 2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, M/M, Pining Thanatos (Hades Video Game), Pre-Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 06:27:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,610</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28681050</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alexander_L/pseuds/Alexander_L</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The House of Hades is far too quiet without Zagreus.<br/>When Thanatos finally encounters Zagreus up on the surface he can't help but follow him until he finds where he has been fighting so hard to go. There he meets Persephone who helps him understand Zagreus a little better.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Thanatos/Zagreus (Hades Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>In the Blood - A collection of Thanatos/Zagreus oneshots [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2032894</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>135</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Heart of the House</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Breaking into the locked lounge and climbing over the rubble, Megaera made her way over to the half-destroyed kitchen and rummaged around until she found a bottle of liquor. She couldn’t find a glass that wasn’t broken so she uncorked the bottle and drank straight from it. The liquor flowed bitter and hot down her throat, restoring some warmth to her body that still felt cold and aching from the icy water of the Styx.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sat down on an overturned chaise and took another long drink. She tried not to let her mind turn to Zagreus but how was it possible to not?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Despite his ridiculousness, he had always brought a sense of liveliness and normalcy to her days. If Nyx was the strength of the House and Hades its order, Zagreus was its heart. With all that was fucked up in this world, both above and below, she had craved the way things felt normal around him and far less overwhelming.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It would never feel like that again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>How could he be so selfishly unheeding of the turmoil his rampages was causing, of how the damage he did was so much more than bloodied rooms and smashed urns? What had changed in him? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Confusion was born of a loss of control and Megaera hated not being in control.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She decided it would be better to be angry.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hypnos’s heart leapt as Zagreus hauled himself out of the pool of Styx and shook the blood from his hair. He opened his mouth to call out to him and say hello but Zagreus walked by without even glancing at him. The cheerful smile slipped momentarily from Hypnos’s lips before he caught himself and forced it back on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zagreus always used to talk to him. He was the only one who did really. He was also the only one who knew how to take a joke and also how to take a break from work once in a while. Work! How everyone in this House was obsessed with it! Only Zagreus actually stopped to breathe. Or at least he used to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He used to wait until his father was buried under parchmentwork in his office and drag Hypnos away from his post. They would steal snacks from the lounge and sneak off to Zagreus’s room to talk or read or nap. Zagreus had too much energy for his own good. He said he liked to be around Hypnos because he felt less restless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now, Zagreus barely slept at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Glancing over at the long line of shades getting backed up, Hypnos’s heart fell. He looked down at his list but his eyes couldn’t focus on the page because his vision was blurring with tears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He tugged the eye mask down to cover them and turned up the collar of his cloak to hide his face.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>The West Hall was so silent these days. Thanatos lurking over by the river, staring into its current grimly, certainly did nothing to alter the stillness that weighed down the atmosphere as thick and stifling as fog over a battlefield after a fight when only the dead remained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As it did far too much these days with little to distract him from it, Achilles’s mind turned to Patroclus. Is this what Elysium felt like? Achilles liked to imagine it was a place full of beauty and as much liveliness as a dwelling of the dead could possess. He wondered now if it perhaps felt like this: lonely, empty, far too quiet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Patroclus could never stand the quiet. He had been quick to laugh, merry by nature yet calm and never overbearing. Zagreus reminded Achilles of him sometimes with his sarcastic sense of humor and the gentleness that always tempered it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wondered if Zagreus had set foot in Elysium yet, if by any twist of Fate he would even encounter Patroclus. He wondered what challenges would await Zagreus if he made it that far. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had strived hard to prepare Zagreus to face threats of an external kind. He berated himself now as Zagreus tipped further out of control that he had not prepared him better for threats of the internal kind, threats that might, with enough time and pressure, wear away that kindness that Achilles respected so much in him, the way war had worn down both he and Patroclus.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Everyone in this House felt the absence of Zagreus like a hollow carved into its core. Yet they remained within its walls and went on with their lives the same as always.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thanatos could not stand it. He had to come back from time to time out of necessity but every moment he could he stayed far, far away. Even the assailing fury of the sun was preferable to the shadow cast across the House of Hades.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taking shelter from the sun, Than wandered over to the shade of a small copse of trees and sat down on a ledge overlooking the ocean. It was loud and chaotic as everything was on the surface, not like the powerful yet controlled waters of the Styx. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Contrary to popular belief, even Than needed rest; he would just be damned if he sought it out in his chambers in the House of Hades and risked getting too close to any of this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Exhaustion caused his eyelids to slip closed and Than leaned back against the trunk of the tree, setting his scythe down on the ground although he kept one hand clasped warily around its hilt. The snow was comforting and he took a deep breath of the crisp air, enjoying how a few errant snowflakes drifted down from the tree boughs as the wind rustled them and fell across his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Footsteps crunching in the snow caused him to bolt awake and he froze, casting a quick shroud across himself to make him invisible. Cautiously, he turned around and saw a familiar figure walking down the trail along the ridge, steam hissing from his bare feet as the snow melted under his steps.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zagreus.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Than felt the breath stolen from his lungs and he watched as Zag walked past, wandering towards the overlook. He paused there and gazed out at the ocean in awe, shielding his eyes at the sunlight for a moment until his vision adjusted. He whispered something to himself that Than couldn’t hear then he turned away and continued his trek through the mountains.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thanatos cursed himself bitterly as he stood up and followed him from a safe distance, compelled by an impulse he neither understood nor welcomed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As minutes dragged on to nearly half an hour, Than still was unable to stop himself from shadowing Zagreus. How had he even made it to the surface? Where was he going?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At last they came to a place where the snow subsided and the harsh light of the sun took on a gentler glow. Warmth emanated from a large garden tucked away in the shelter of the mountain and Thanatos found himself soothed by it instead of discomforted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zag broke into a run and raced past the gate into the garden where he was met with a joyful greeting. Straying closer, Thanatos hid behind a tree and watched as Zagreus embraced a woman who looked so familiar that it only took Than a moment to realize who she was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He could not quite hear what the two of them spoke of, but they talked for only a fleeting period of time before Zagreus began to falter. He dropped down onto his knees and choked, gasping for breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Than’s heart leapt into his throat and he was about to leave the shelter of his hiding place to run over and help him when Zagreus abruptly collapsed and Than saw his form dissipate, his soul being pulled into the current of the Styx to be borne away back home.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What… What happened?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can come out now if you want,” the woman called, turning to look directly at Than despite the fact his invisibility shroud was still active.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Than froze like a startled deer for a moment then decided that the only dignified thing to do was respond. Stepping out into the sunlight, he released the shroud and walked over to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lady Persephone,” he said with a short bow of respect.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanatos,” she said with a smile. “My, you’ve grown up!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve been gone a long time,” he replied. He didn’t mean it as an accusation and he hoped she didn’t take it that way. He simply was unsure of what else to say.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are wondering what happened to Zagreus, aren’t you?” Persephone said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Than did not immediately reply, Persephone waved him over towards a garden table with a pitcher of iced tea on it and a plate of bread and fruit. “You also look like you’re hungry. Sit with me just for a minute and have something to eat and drink.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t wish to inconvenience you. And I have work to attend to. I should-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please. It would be nice to talk to someone. Each time Zagreus visits me it is such a joy to see him, but when he leaves…” She paused as she poured tea into two glasses, then added quietly, “I was never really lonely here until I met him. Now it feels far too quiet without him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It is very quiet in the House of Hades without him too,” Thanatos said, although he chided himself for admitting it. There was something incredibly strange about Persephone’s aura. She made him want to talk, or rather she made it possible to talk even if he did not want to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He cares about you quite a lot, you know,” she said, taking a sip of her tea and giving him a small smile. “When I asked him to tell me of his life, your name came up more than anyone else’s.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We spent much time together,” Than said, “before…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But not now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In order to spare himself replying, Than picked up the glass of tea and took a drink. It was delicious and the coolness of it was a refreshing contrast to the warmth in the air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened to him?” Than asked after a moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He cannot last up here on the surface. He is bound to the underworld it seems,” she said sadly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thanatos stared down into his glass, heart aching. What was worse? Zagreus leaving them all behind or staying simply because he had no other choice?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is there no way to unbind him so he can be free?” he asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Would you want him to?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked up at Persephone and she gazed back at him curiously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I want him to be happy. I heard the tone of his voice as he spoke with you. Seeing you has made him happier than I have seen him in years,” he answered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And yet when he is happy, his thoughts still return to you,” she said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thanatos wanted to ask her why she left and why she would not return. He wanted to ask her what she spoke of with Zagreus and why he kept coming back even though he could not stay. He had a thousand questions but even Persephone’s welcoming presence could not draw them from him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He said you have been helping him get through the underworld to escape,” Persephone said, “even though you don’t want him to leave. Thank you for looking out for my son.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I should be going,” Than said, getting to his feet and setting down the glass of tea. “Thank you for everything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanatos,” she said as he turned away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes?” he answered without looking back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Talk to him, please. He misses you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Then he shouldn’t have tried to leave.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Thanatos kept the words to himself and nodded. “Very well. Farewell Lady Persephone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shifted out of the garden and rematerialized beside the Styx in his usual haunt within the House of Hades.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Than!” Zagreus said and Thanatos stiffened at the sound of his voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Back so soon?” Than replied as Zag came to stand at his side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve finally met her, Than!” he said. “My mother! Persephone! I found her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Than wanted to feel resentment at the enthusiasm in Zag’s voice but his traitorous heart couldn’t hold onto the feeling. Instead he found himself looking over to meet Zag’s eager gaze and restraining the urge to return his smile. He looked so relieved, so full of life and hope. He hadn’t looked that way in what seemed like an age.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m happy for you,” he managed to say. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come have a drink with me. Let me tell you about her!” Zagreus urged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have to go. I-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zag reached out to grab his hand then paused, merely brushing his fingers across Than’s instead. “Than…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Swallowing back his emotion, Thanatos turned to Zagreus calmly and said, “Very well. I can spare a moment.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come; let’s talk somewhere more private. I don’t want anyone overhearing,” Zag said, beckoning for Than to follow as he headed towards his room. Thanatos hesitated then vanished and shifted into Zagreus’s room instead of walking into it beside him. He was risking a lot by spending time with him as it was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zagreus bounded in a moment later and laughed. “You have to stop doing that. It’s unfair.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe if you applied yourself to learning how to do it, you wouldn’t be left running after me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zag sat down on the edge of his bed and patted the covers for Than to sit next to him but Than ignored him, clasping his hands beside his back and preferring to pace across the length of the room in front of Zag as he listened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Zag was done telling him his story, Than swore quietly and shook his head. “I had no idea that she didn’t know about you. That Hades…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wish I could just stay there longer so I could hear the full story! I know there is more to it,” Zag said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Than nodded in reply.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His reticence finally got to Zagreus who jumped up from the bed to close the distance between them. Than tensed as Zag reached out and took both of his hands in his.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” Zag said earnestly, “for talking with me, for everything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Than pulled his hands away and avoided Zag’s gaze. “Don’t thank me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have missed you. You have no idea how good it is to see you again. Every time I return here, you are gone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have much to do. It has always been the case that I have little time to stay here,” Than said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And yet we always found time to be together,” Zag murmured, his fingers gliding across Than’s arm tentatively.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Things change. You have changed. Nothing can be as it once was.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zagreus took a step closer. “How do I change it back to how it was between us?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then how do I make it something new that still involves being able to be with you from time to time? This distance between us is-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have to go, Zag. See you around,” he interrupted. He looked at Zagreus one last time, drinking in the sight of him desperately for a second before vanishing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he reappeared it was on the surface and the immediate assault of the sunlight blinded him. Gasping out a curse, he tugged his hood down to shadow his eyes and yanked his scythe from its sheath. He gripped its handle to steady his hands from shaking and took a deep breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had work to do. It was the only thing he had left.</span>
</p>
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